Red, Hot and Blue!

Original Broadway Production

A Musical Comedy in Two Acts
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Working Titles: But Millions; Wait for Baby

Tryouts began October 7, 1936 at the Colonial Theatre, Boston
October 19, 1936 at the Shubert Theatre, New Haven

Opened October 29, 1936 at the Alvin Theatre, NYC
Ran for 183 performances
Produced by Vinton Freedley
Directed by Howard Lindsay
Dances and Ensembles by George Hale
Costumes by Constance Ripley
Set Design by Donald Oenslager
Orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett
Musical Direction by Frank E. Tours

Synopsis

Former manicurist "Nails" Duquesne is now a wealthy widow determined to fill her time with philanthropic ventures. With the aid of her assistant, ex-convict "Policy" Pinkle, she takes up the case of lawyer Bob Hale, who lost the love of his life at age six when he shoved her into a waffle iron and branded her on the rear. When "Nails" starts a national lottery to find the girl, the Senate Finance Committee, hoping to use the contest money to balance the national budget, complicates an already messy situation.

"You're a Bad Influence On Me" [dropped soon after the New York opening; replaced by the following song] - "Nails"

"The Ozarks Are Callin' Me Home" - "Nails"

"Red, Hot and Blue" - "Nails" and Ensemble

Cut Songs

"When Your Troubles Have Started" [dropped during the Boston tryout]

"Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye" [dropped during the Boston tryout; replaced by "Down in the Depths"; originally written for the film Born to Dance]

"Bertie and Gertie" [dropped during rehearsals]

"Who But You?" [unused]

"That's the News I'm Waiting to Hear" [unused]

"Where?" [unused]

"Lonely Star" [unused]

Original Cast Recordings

"Down in the Depths" / "It's De-Lovely" - Ethel Merman

78 RPM, 1936 [Liberty Music Shop L-206]

"Ridin' High" / "Red, Hot and Blue" - Ethel Merman

78 RPM, 1936 [Liberty Music Shop L-207]

Red, Hot and Blue

Ethel Merman, vocals
With Fairchild & Carroll and Their Orchestra
and Ramona Davies and her grand piano
Recorded October 12 and November 6, 1936 and January 5, 1937

Note: This release is a collection of the songs recorded for the Liberty Music Shop record label (see above). It also includes numbers recorded by Merman for Arthur Schwartz's "Stars in Your Eyes" (1939)

LP, 197? [AEI Records 1147]

Compact Disc, 1991 [AEI CD-001]

Selections

"Down in the Depths" - Ethel Merman

"It's De-Lovely" - Ethel Merman

"Ridin' High" - Ethel Merman

"The Ozarks Are Callin' Me Home" - Ramona Davies

"Red, Hot and Blue!" - Ethel Merman

Note: The four songs by Ethel Merman are also included on the Smithsonian archival reconstruction of Let's Face It